Exotic Bonsai Choices
Are you interested in something more adventurous in the art of bonsai gardening? If so, you need not be stuck with with the classical coniferous, deciduous or occasional fruit trees as the only items in your collection. Your options can range to the more exotic bonsai varieties which will help further develop your skills.
One excellent alternative to the classical bonsai is Wisteria, a native of China, Korea and Japan. In the wild, Wisteria can reach 30 feet or more in size. However, since Wisteria doesn’t conform to any of the normal bonsai styles, forming them into a bonsai can be an interesting challenge.
The Wisteria flowers are both beautiful and aromatic and come in a variety of colors, including white, blue, purple, and pink. Blooming in the Spring, they need lots of water with adequate drainage and they do well in partial shade to full sun. Just before they bloom in the spring, you should provide them with ample fertilizer, and once again in late summer before they drop their leaves.
Orange Jasmine is another option that will provide both beauty to the eye and delight to the nose. Their fragrant, white blossoms are accompanied by bright red fruit.
Starting in early spring and continuing through mid-autumn, feed Orange Jasmine every three to four weeks. Except in the hotter summer months when slightly more water is needed, only light watering is sufficient for the rest of the year.
Because they generally grow better in moderate shade or filtered sun, Orange Jasmine is one of the few bonsai that can, and should be raised indoors.
With lovely puffy flowers and lacy foliage, the Mimosa tree provides another good choice. They are as fragrant as either of the above choices and due to their long silky filaments they are sometimes called a silk tree.
The Mimosa’s flowers bloom in late April to early July and moderate water should be provided during this period. However, you should avoid getting water on the flowers because, much like a number of other flowering plants, the flowers will quickly deteriorate when wet.
If you choose to cultivate a Mimosa, it will be one of the larger bonsai in your collection since they have large leaves, grow rapidly, and are difficult to maintain at a very small size. So be sure to give then adequate room in your display area.
Another non-traditional bonsai is the Desert Rose. The Desert Rose can turn what would be an ordinary bonsai collection into one full of color and excitement. It is a native of East Africa and in the wild can grow up to 10 feet tall, producing large, pink, trumpet-bowl flowers.
Requiring lots of fresh air and plenty of sunshine, the Desert Rose should be kept outdoors most of the year. However, their very bushy habit makes them a great complement to the more traditional bonsai set in your collection.
They’re sensitive to cold, though, so in cold climates they should be brought indoors. They don’t thrive below 50F (10C), though they will lie dormant and healthy from 50-60F (10C-15C). During this period they will require very little water.
These beautiful and fragrant flowering plants will challenge your bonsai gardening skills, expanding your horizons. They will provide an ever-changing display as they go through the seasons, blossoming in the spring and dropping their leaves in the fall, increasing interest to your collection and when spaced amongst the more traditional evergreens, such as junipers, pines, and firs, they add a nice contrast.
George Dodge presents bonsai gardening tips for beginning bonsai gardeners on his Bonsai Tree Gardening site where he encourages you to experiment with exotic bonsai choices to roundout your collection. He has long enjoyed gardening and landscaping as a hobby.
Berberis thunbergii Rose Glow